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<title>Set an Element's Default Appearance [Enterprise Architect User Guide]</title>

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                  <p class="p_Heading1"><span class="f_Heading1">Set an Element's Default Appearance</span></p>



  
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                <p class="p_BodyText"><span class="f_BodyText">You can set the global appearance of all elements throughout a model, using the </span><span class="f_UIControl">Options</span><span class="f_BodyText"> dialog. Select the </span><span class="f_MenuKeyField">Tools | Options</span><span class="f_BodyText"> menu option, then select </span><span class="f_MenuKeyField"><a href="standardcolors.htm">Standard Colors</a></span><span class="f_BodyText"> and </span><span class="f_BodyText" style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="diagram_appearance.htm">Diagram | Appearance</a></span><span class="f_BodyText"> </span><span class="f_BodyText">from the options tree.</span></p>
<p class="p_BodyText"><span class="f_BodyText">To override the global appearance and define a default appearance for a specific element on all diagrams on which it is found, right-click on the element and select the </span><span class="f_MenuKeyField">Appearance | Default Appearance</span><span class="f_BodyText"> menu option. The </span><span class="f_UIControl">Default Appearance</span><span class="f_BodyText"> dialog displays.</span></p>
<p class="p_BodyText"><span class="f_BodyText">To change the appearance of an element on the current diagram only, use the </span><span class="f_UIControl"><a href="formattoolbar.htm">Format</a> </span><span class="f_BodyText">toolbar. If the </span><span class="f_UIControl">Format</span><span class="f_BodyText"> toolbar is not displayed, select the </span><span class="f_MenuKeyField">View | Toolbars | Format Tool</span><span class="f_BodyText"> </span><span class="f_BodyText">menu option.</span></p>
<div style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px; margin: 5px 0px 5px 13px;"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" border="0" style="border: none; border-spacing:0px;">
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<td valign="bottom" width="952" bgcolor="#efeff7" style="width:952px; background-color:#efeff7;"><p class="p_TiporNote" style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none;"><span class="f_TiporNote">Note:</span></p>
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<td width="952" bgcolor="#f7f7ff" style="width:952px; background-color:#f7f7ff;"><p class="p_TiporNoteText"><span class="f_TiporNoteText">You can adjust several elements at the same time. Select all of the required elements, right-click on one of them and select the </span><span class="f_MenuKeyField">Default Appearance</span><span class="f_TiporNoteText"> menu option, or use the </span><span class="f_UIControl">Format</span><span class="f_TiporNoteText"> toolbar.</span></p>
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<p class="p_TextIndentedL2"><img src="configuredefaultappearance.png" width="525" height="210" border="0" alt="ConfigureDefaultAppearance"></p>
<p class="p_SubHeadingL1"><span class="f_SubHeadingL1">Change a Background, Font or Border Color</span></p>
<p class="p_BodyText"><span class="f_BodyText">To reset the background color, font color or border color, follow the steps below:</span></p>
<ol style="text-indent: 0px; margin-left: 48px; list-style-position: outside;">
<li value=1><span class="f_NumberedList">On the </span><span class="f_UIControl">Default Appearance</span> <span class="f_NumberedList">dialog, select the </span><span class="f_MenuKeyField">Background Color</span><span class="f_NumberedList">, </span><span class="f_MenuKeyField">Font Color</span><span class="f_NumberedList"> or </span><span class="f_MenuKeyField">Border Color</span><span class="f_NumberedList"> radio button as appropriate.</span></li>
</ol>
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<td valign="bottom" width="952" bgcolor="#efeff7" style="width:952px; background-color:#efeff7;"><p class="p_TiporNote" style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none;"><span class="f_TiporNote">Note:</span></p>
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<td width="952" bgcolor="#f7f7ff" style="width:952px; background-color:#f7f7ff;"><p class="p_TiporNoteText"><span class="f_TiporNoteText">You have further options for changing the font of element text in the </span><span class="f_MenuKeyField"><a href="set_element_font.htm">Set Font</a></span><span class="f_TiporNoteText"> menu option.</span></p>
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<li value=2><span class="f_NumberedList">Deselect the </span><span class="f_MenuKeyField">Use Default Color</span><span class="f_NumberedList">checkbox, to enable the </span><span class="f_MenuKeyField">Select</span><span class="f_NumberedList"> button.</span></li>
<li value=3><span class="f_NumberedList">Click on the </span><span class="f_MenuKeyField">Select</span><span class="f_NumberedList"> button. The </span><span class="f_UIControl">Color</span><span class="f_NumberedList"> dialog displays.</span><br>
<span class="f_NumberedList">&nbsp;</span><br>
<img src="configuredefaultappearance-colorpicker2.png" width="214" height="296" border="0" alt="ConfigureDefaultAppearance-ColorPicker2"><br>
<span class="f_NumberedList">&nbsp;</span></li>
<li value=4><span class="f_NumberedList">Select the required color (click on the </span><span class="f_MenuKeyField">Define Custom Colors&gt;&gt;</span><span class="f_NumberedList"> button and define a specific color if necessary) and click on the </span><span class="f_MenuKeyField">OK</span><span class="f_NumberedList"> button. You return to the </span><span class="f_UIControl">Default Appearance</span><span class="f_NumberedList"> dialog, on which the </span><span class="f_UIControl">Preview</span><span class="f_NumberedList"> panel indicates the selected color for the element.</span><br>
<span class="f_NumberedList">&nbsp;</span><br>
<img src="configuredefaultappearance-colorselected2.png" width="516" height="207" border="0" alt="ConfigureDefaultAppearance-ColorSelected2"><br>
<span class="f_NumberedList">&nbsp;</span></li>
</ol>
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<tr style="text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom;">
<td valign="bottom" width="952" bgcolor="#efeff7" style="width:952px; background-color:#efeff7;"><p class="p_TiporNote" style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none;"><span class="f_TiporNote">Note:</span></p>
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<td width="952" bgcolor="#f7f7ff" style="width:952px; background-color:#f7f7ff;"><p class="p_TiporNoteText"><span class="f_TiporNoteText">To change to a different color, click on the </span><span class="f_MenuKeyField">Select</span><span class="f_TiporNoteText"> button again, or to return to the default color, select the </span><span class="f_MenuKeyField">Use Default Color</span><span class="f_TiporNoteText"> checkbox.</span></p>
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<ol style="text-indent: 0px; margin-left: 48px; list-style-position: outside;">
<li value=5><span class="f_NumberedList">Click on the </span><span class="f_MenuKeyField">OK</span><span class="f_NumberedList"> button. The new color is applied to the selected element or elements.</span></li>
</ol>
<p class="p_SubHeadingL1"><span class="f_SubHeadingL1">Change the Border Thickness</span></p>
<p class="p_BodyText"><span class="f_BodyText">To change the border thickness, follow the steps below:</span></p>
<ol style="text-indent: 0px; margin-left: 48px; list-style-position: outside;">
<li value=1><span class="f_NumberedList">On the </span><span class="f_UIControl">Default Appearance</span><span class="f_NumberedList"> dialog, in the </span><span class="f_MenuKeyField">Border Thickness</span><span class="f_NumberedList"> field, type the number of points to apply. Alternatively, click on the scroll arrows to increase or decrease the number.</span><br>
<span class="f_NumberedList">&nbsp;</span><br>
<span class="f_NumberedList">The </span><span class="f_UIControl">Preview</span><span class="f_NumberedList"> panel indicates the effect of the change in border thickness.</span><br>
<span class="f_NumberedList">&nbsp;</span><br>
<img src="configuredefaultappearance-border2.png" width="163" height="136" border="0" alt="ConfigureDefaultAppearance-Border2"><br>
<span class="f_NumberedList">&nbsp;</span></li>
<li value=2><span class="f_NumberedList">Click on the </span><span class="f_MenuKeyField">OK</span><span class="f_NumberedList"> button. The new border thickness is applied to the selected element or elements.</span></li>
</ol>




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